Search - company

 
 
Nippon Life Insurance is diversifying its investments to enhance yields, although it’s a tricky time to invest with U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war fueling global market volatility.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2025

Japan’s biggest insurer weighs riskier overseas CLO investments

Japan’s biggest life insurer is considering taking on a little more risk with its investments in collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), as it looks for ways to eke out better returns abroad.
A Sony PlayStation 5 controller
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2025

Sony profit forecast flattens under ¥100 billion tariff burden

New Sony Chief Executive Officer Hiroki Totoki’s first task is to navigate the entertainment group though a new era of a tariff-wielding United States.
A liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker is tugged toward a thermal power station in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, in 2017.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2025

Japan under pressure from U.S. to invest in Alaska LNG pipeline

Doubts over the pipeline's profitability and viability leaves Japan's participation in the $44 billion (nearly ¥6.7 trillion) project uncertain.
Panasonic may be poised to benefit from having factories in the U.S. as Tesla and others seek to reduce their reliance on Chinese battery-makers.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2025

Panasonic CEO says battery plans align with slower EV demand

The supplier of lithium-ion batteries to Tesla is getting ready to start production at a second U.S.-based factory in Kansas, but has frozen plans for a third plant.
Calling themselves "Cheer Re-Man's" — a mash-up of "cheerleading" and "salaryman" — the group is made up of alumni from the elite Waseda University's male cheerleading squad.
JAPAN
May 15, 2025

Japanese 'salarymen' inspire with cheerleading acrobatics

The young men are all about spreading cheer through their eye-popping acrobatic performances, volunteering their weekends to entertain crowds.
According to the Fair Trade Commission, Kadoya Sesame Mills and Takemoto Oil & Fat violated the antimonopoly law by repeatedly conspiring to raise the prices of sesame oil sold to food-makers S&B Foods and Marumiya.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2025

FTC orders sesame oil-makers to halt price cartel, issuing ¥21.98 million fine

The antitrust watchdog said the two firms formed the cartel to secure profits amid rising sesame prices due to production cuts in Africa and a weaker yen.
Tokyo police arrested five people on suspicion of buying some 2,800 boxes of heated tobacco products, worth about ¥1.64 million, at a convenience store using the Apple Pay iD contactless payment service over 167 times from Nov. 8 to 10 last year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 15, 2025

Five arrested for alleged credit card fraud over tobacco purchases

Offline payment, whose inappropriate use is unstoppable when smartphone signals are cut, was used for the crime.
Morgan Stanley analysts estimate the top five makers of hearing aids hold roughly 99% of the global market, which they predict will be worth over $14 billion by next year rising from about $12 billion in 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 15, 2025

Trump’s tariffs spare Europe-dominated hearing aid industry

An ecosystem developed over more than a century has given three Danish companies and a Swiss rival a quasi-monopoly on the market for devices that help people hear better.
Net income is likely to reach ¥2 trillion ($13.7 billion) for the 12 months ending March, up 7.5% from ¥1.86 trillion in the previous fiscal year, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group said on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2025

MUFG expects record profit and joins rivals in buying back shares

Net income is likely to reach ¥2 trillion for the 12 months ending March, up 7.5% from ¥1.86 trillion in the previous fiscal year.
"Jinsei," which follows its protagonist over a century, probes themes of identity and societal issues with a dark comic touch. The director, however, says he created the story without knowing where it would lead.
CULTURE / Film
May 16, 2025

For his first feature film, director Ryuya Suzuki created a masterpiece

With no script or crew, the animator created "Jinsei," a bold debut inspired by classics such as "Citizen Kane" and "Scarface."
Kyoto's gaming landscape is dominated by Nintendo's headquarters, but a contingent of foreign-born indie developers is also working in the gaming giant's shadow.
LIFE / Digital
May 17, 2025

In Nintendo’s backyard, foreign indie game devs are thriving

“Of course, we’re all in the shadow of Nintendo, but we’re also here because of Nintendo,” says one British indie game developer.
Okasan Securities and Iwai Cosmo Securities said they had been hit by fraudulent trading, indicating the hacking of online trading accounts is expanding to mid-sized brokerages.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 16, 2025

Hacking of trading accounts in Japan spreads to midsized firms

The hacking of online trading accounts has exploded in Japan, surging more than 10-fold in April from March.
A Mynavi survey has found that even dual-income households are facing financial strain in Japan.
JAPAN / Society
May 16, 2025

Finances are tight for dual-income households too, survey finds

Nearly half of full-time workers whose spouses also work say they are struggling financially.
An oil refinery behind Hamadera Park in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture
JAPAN
May 17, 2025

One dead after possible gas leak at Eneos refinery

The company believes they may have inhaled hydrogen sulfide gas, according to informed sources.
A Mexican Navy training ship is seen near the Manhattan Bridge after it slammed into the nearby Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday.
WORLD
May 18, 2025

Mexican Navy training ship crashes into Brooklyn Bridge, killing two

Nineteen others were injured after the ship lost power and hit the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Sunday.
Founded with a mission of promoting electric vehicles, Formula E has always placed sustainability at the forefront of its raison d’etre.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
May 18, 2025

For Formula E, ‘sustainability is at the heart’

Now in its 11th season, Formula E's efforts to reduce emissions and promote electric vehicles are paying off.
Carlyle Japan is expanding hiring of investment professionals as it believes Japanese companies that are focused on domestic businesses are actually very appealing amid the global trade turmoil.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 19, 2025

Carlyle on Japan hiring spree after new $3 billion buyout fund

Private equity has found a sweet spot in Japan in recent years, where borrowing costs remain low and companies have become receptive to selling off operations.
The crowded center circle of the Kansai Pavilion at the Osaka Expo, featuring photos and videos of various prefectures
JAPAN
May 25, 2025

Osaka Expo highlights uniqueness of Kansai region

The Kansai Pavilion offers numerous experiences to allow visitors to understand the rich history and culture of the region.
China slapped antidumping duties on imports of engineering plastic, including 35.5% duties on shipments from Japan.
BUSINESS
May 19, 2025

China slaps antidumping duties on plastics from U.S., EU, Japan and Taiwan

POM copolymers can partially replace metals such as copper and zinc and have various applications including in auto parts, electronics and medical equipment.
An automated delivery robot carries items during a demonstration in the city of Hachioji in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN
May 19, 2025

Seven-Eleven testing delivery robots in Japan

The four-wheeled box-type robots, which can travel up to 6 kph, are designed to run on sidewalks while following traffic lights and dodging obstacles.
Sakana AI Chief Operating Officer Ren Ito (left) and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group President Hironori Kamezawa in Tokyo on Friday. The companies have entered into a ¥5 billion ($34 million) deal to automate the creation of banking documents.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 19, 2025

Sakana AI and MUFG sign agreement to automate creation of banking documents

The AI Scientist, which was originally designed for automating scientific discovery, including manuscript writing and peer review, will be used.
Kimihiro Matsuzaki prepares dishes at his half-century-old restaurant, Yanagi, in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Jun 2, 2025

Profitable Fukushima companies closing due to lack of successors

According to Teikoku Databank, more than a third of the companies that went out of business in the prefecture in 2024 were in the black.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe says the company's investment plans for electric vehicles have been scaled back during a news conference in Tokyo Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 20, 2025

Honda walks back EV investment and sales targets on poor demand

Honda now sees hybrids accounting for 2.2 million of 3.6 million in global sales by 2030, up from the 2 million it previously saw.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 21, 2025

Iran faces U.S. without Plan B as nuclear red lines collide

Iran may turn to China and Russia as a "Plan B," but with Beijing's trade war with Washington, and Moscow distracted with its war in Ukraine, the backup plan seems shaky.
Rainmaker Mountain in Pago Pago, American Samoa
BUSINESS
May 21, 2025

Trump sets stage to sell ocean mining rights off American Samoa

There’s growing appetite in Washington for new domestic sources of critical minerals, following China’s decision to curb exports of rare-earth materials.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson during the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Carolina on Sunday
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
May 21, 2025

'True racer' Kyle Larson gears up for Indy-Charlotte Double

For the second year in a row, Kyle Larson will attempt one of the rarest feats in all of sports.
The white-tailed eagle's wintering grounds include Hokkaido, northern Honshu, the Russian coast, the southern Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
May 26, 2025

Eagle nest discovery sparks opposition to megasolar project

Groups want to put a stop to the project near eastern Hokkaido's Kushiro Wetlands National Park.
SoftBank Group’s investments in AI will be financed through a loan in which Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and JPMorgan Chase serve as lead underwriters, highlighting the Japanese tech investor's ability to secure funding for its outsize ambitions.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 21, 2025

SoftBank taps Mizuho, SMBC and JPMorgan to lead $15 billion loan

The move is a sign of the Japanese tech investor’s ability to secure financing for its outsize ambitions.
Questionable websites appear to be taking advantage of consumers looking for cheaper rice online amid the high prices of the staple grain in the nation.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 21, 2025

Beware of dubious websites offering cheap rice, consumer watchdog warns

The Consumer Affairs Agency urges consumers to verify the legitimacy of websites offering rice at unusually low prices before making any purchase.
A mock-up of Japan's state-of-the-art railgun, which is currently undergoing testing, is displayed at the three-day DSEI Japan defense exhibition in the city of Chiba on Wednesday.
JAPAN
May 21, 2025

Railguns, missiles and lasers: Japan uses massive defense event to highlight shift

The range of products and systems being displayed at DSEI Japan in Chiba is both diverse and sophisticated, and comes amid soaring international tensions.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight